Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I look at the impact of technology on the concept of sculpture.
However, I am more concerned with the principles behind technological
change as influence, than looking at high-technology advances. A key issue
that I address is the consideration of changes in society and art, and I ask the
question, to what extent does three-dimensional art remain in any traditional
sense 'sculpture'?
It is my objective to show these changes, indicated by the transition from an
object-oriented to a systems-oriented approach in art leading to a redefinition
of the concept of sculpture. Although I deal with my practical work as a
separate part in the thesis, there is a close integration and mutual objectives
between the practical and theoretical components.
The transition occurring in sculpture can directly be traced to the technological
advances in society. Scientific knowledge in any period of history reflects the
way people understand their world, thus affecting human perceptions of the
natural world and in turn influencing artistic creation. In Chapter One, attention
is given in general to some of these scientific discoveries, for example the
shift from classical science to an organismic approach with its focus on the
interconnectedness of all things. Also of importance is the beginning of Chaos
Theory, introducing the element of chance.
In Chapter Two, more specific changes in the concept of art and sculpture are
dealt with. Referring to some important predecessors earlier in the zo"
century. I look at art becoming an interactive system, and find the
interrelationship between sculpture and architecture useful in illustrating this,
because of the foregrounding of the concept of space.
In Chapter Three, I examine the different way that artists deal with the issues
of urbanity', for example, the Minimalists putting emphasis on the idea of
sculpture as an infinitely malleable category. Shifting definitions of urbanity
were responses to specific new conditions in the environment, for example, as seen in the changing features of the city. Chapter Four deals with
contemporary artists' response to these conditions, starting with examples of
an object-oriented approach to sculpture, moving step by step towards a
different systems-oriented approach.
To conclude, I speculate on all the possibilities that the virtual environments
that modern computers allow us to create may for the first time open up. We
are at the beginning of a new century full of promise to artists in all fields. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis kyk ek na die impak van tegnologie op die konsep van
beeldhou. Maar, ek is egter meer geintereseerd in die invloed van die
beginsels agter tegnologiese verandering as in die gebruik van uiters
gevorderde tegnologiese instrumente. 'n Belangrike aspek vir my is die wyse
waarop die veranderinge in die samelewing afgedruk work op kuns. Derhalwe
vra ek tot watter mate drie-dimensionele kuns op enige tradisionele wyse
steed as 'beeldhou' beskou kan word?
Dit is my doelwit om hierdie veranderinge uit te wys, soos gesien kan word in
die transformasie vanaf 'n objek-gerigte benadering na 'n sisteem-gerigte
benadering tot die konsep van beeldhou. Hoewel ek die praktiese werk as 'n
aparte deel van die tesis hanteer, is daar in nabye integrasie met
gemeenskaplike doelwitte tussen die praktiese en teoretiese komponente.
Die transformasie in beeldhou kan direk verbind word met die tegnologiese
vooruitgang in die samelewing. Wetenskaplike kennis van enige tydperk, is 'n
indikasie van die wyse waarop die mense hulomgewing verstaan. Dus
affekteer dit mense se persepsie van die natuur, en in reaksie die persepsie
van die kunstenaar. In hoofstuk een, word aandag gegee in die algemeen aan
sommige van hierdie wetenskaplike ontdekkings, byvoorbeeld die skuif vanaf
klassieke wetenskap na 'n organismiese benadering met sy fokus op die
integrasie van alle dinge. Ook belangrik is die onstaan van Chaos Teorie wat
klem plaas op die onvoorspelbaarheid van dinge.
In hoofstuk twee kyk ek na meer spesifieke veranderinge in die konsep van
kuns in die algemeen, asook beeldbou. Daar word terugverwys na sommige
belangrike kunstenaars aan die begin van die 20ste eeu. Klem word geplaas
op kuns as interaktiewe sisteem, en ek vind die interverhouding tussen
beeldhou en argitektuur as 'n belangrike voorbeeld, as gevolg van die
benadering tot die konsep van ruimte. Hoofstuk drie ondersoek die verskeie wyses waarop beeldhouers kyk na
kwessies soos verstedeliking, byvoorbeeld die Minimaliste met hul
beklemtoning van die idee van beeldhou as manipuleerbare kategorie.
AI hierdie veranderinge is 'n reaksie op spesifieke nuwe kondisies binne die
samelewing, byvoorbeeld soos gesien in die veranderende kenmerke van
stede. Hoostuk vier deel dan spesifiek met hedendaagse beeldhouers se
reaksie op hierdie kondisies, met die doelom voorbeelde te bespreek van van
'n objek-gerigte benadering tot beeldhou asook 'n sisteem-gerigte benadering
tot beeldhou.
Om af te sluit, spekuleer ek oor al die nuwe moontlikhede wat 'virtuele
realiteif, daar gestel deur die moderne rekenaars, aan beeldhou kan bied.
Ons staan aan die begin van 'n nuwe eeu vol potensiaal vir kunstenaars op
alle gebiede.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52031 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Keyser, Nicolet |
| Contributors | Arnold, Marion, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 129 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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